


here comes the sun

by minipie



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Best Friends, F/M, M/M, Multi, Platonic Relationships, Raising children, Slice of Life, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-18 17:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14857128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minipie/pseuds/minipie
Summary: Wonho thinks he's just about figured out the whole "parenting" thing. Then Chae Hyungwon enters his life and proceeds to disrupt it.Havoc and falling-in-love ensue.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this story, Kihyun is trans (mtf) and will be referred to as Kihyeon. That decision was largely inspired by Monsta X-Ray season 2: The Temptation of the Wife's Over Heirs Over Flowers. 
> 
> All right, buckle in!

Ahreum’s short bout of compliance is over, done, finished. She’d been content smashing her cars together in the shopping cart, making loud sounds of **bang crash**!! Before she spotted the cookie aisle, and like the average four year old, demanded that Wonho buy her something  _ or else _ . 

And of course Wonho refuses, because Ahreum is severely allergic to peanuts and he doesn’t want to risk processed food. That, and the fact that he refuses to raise his child on something so unsubstational as god forbid-  _ oreos _ . He quickly pushes the cart away. 

“ _ Appa _ ,” Ahreum had begun to whine. “I want-”

“Nope,” interjected Wonho, looking pointedly at her. “We have fig bars at home, you can eat those.”

 

Ahreum’s bottom lip quivers as she furrows her brow in frustration. This is a new thing she does, fake cries, except it sounds so damn real that most people submit to her beck and call, delivering her wishes as quickly as possible in order to halt her sobs.

Wonho is not one of those people. “You can cry all you want, Ahreum, but I am not going to buy that junk.”

She starts to let out a few sobs, testing Wonho. When she sees that he’s still pushing the cart, scanning the aisles as he ignores her, she lets out a shrill whine from clenched teeth. 

“Here we go,” huffs Wonho quitely. 

She lets out a wail. 

 

Wonho doesn’t feel that bad, pushing a crying kid around in the store, even though some people give him dirty looks as he disrupts their precious bread buying time, or whatever. Clearly, they’ve never had to raise a child.

A few other parents give him a sympathetic look, smiling knowingly at Ahreum. 

“What do you want to eat tomorrow?” Wonho asks, peering at the boxed pastas. Tomorrow is Friday, which is Family Dinner. That meant that Wonho’s friends (Ahreum’s pseudo uncles and aunt) would be bringing their voracious appetites and side dishes to his apartment to eat together like a real fuckin’ family. Then they’d play with Ahreum until she got tired and passed out, then bitch about work, and play some video-games until midnight. 

Ahreum sniffles out, “Pasta,” between some dry sobs. “The good kind,” she says wetly, wiping at her nose with her sleeve. “With the yummy sauce you make.”

“Gross.” Wonho makes a funny face, making Ahreum giggle. “Use a tissue.”

Ahreum shrugs off Wonho’s hands as he tries to wipe her nose, snatching the tissue from him.

“Ahreum, don’t snatch,” he says, continuing to push the cart. “Ask nicely if you want something, okay?”

Ahreum blows her nose loudly in response.

  
  


Wonho is wrestling Ahreum into her car seat. It’s late, she’s tired, and Wonho is utterly exhausted. 

Ahreum is sobbing unintelligibly; Wonho doesn’t think that she even knows why she’s crying. 

“Ahreumah,” Wonho tries to say gently, but his patience is wearing thin. “The faster you cooperate, the faster we can go home.”

She doesn’t respond, only lets out more ugly sobs, pushing Wonho’s hands away from her carseat. 

And then there’s a random lady squeezing her way next to Wonho, pressing herself into the open car door. 

_ What the fuck, _ Wonho thinks. “Excuse me?” he asks instead. “What do you think you’re doing?”

The woman smiles, cheeks pushing pasty against her eyes. “You seem like you need help!” She pats Ahreum’s hand soothingly, her kitschy bracelets jangling together. “Did your mom take the day off and leave you with daddy?” 

Ahreum has stopped crying and is staring at the woman in surprise. Wonho doesn’t know who’s more shocked, him or Ahreum.

“She doesn’t  _ have _ a mom,” Wonho growls. “And you can kindly fuck off.”

The woman looks aghast.

Wonho feels triumphant as he slams his door shut and pulls out of the parking spot. He feels like he’s won until he hears Ahreum quitely repeat, “ _ Fuck _ .”

Well, shit.

 

Ahreum has fallen asleep in the car by the time they arrive home. She’s snoozing softly with her mouth open a little, head lolling forward.

Wonho snaps a few pictures because he’s  _ that _ kind of parent before he unbuckles her. He grunts as he picks her up, burdened by the shopping bags as well. 

When did she get so big?

 

Later, when everything is put away and Ahreum is tucked in, Wonho finally plops down onto the ugly old couch, laptop powered on on his lap. 

It’s getting late, and the soft, albeit lumpy, couch is swallowing him whole, beckoning him towards sleep, but this is the only quiet time he has to get some work done.

 

Being a parent is hard.

 

Four years ago, he would never have imagined that he’d be a dad. Four years ago, he’d been aimless, the only constant in his life being terrible parties and even more terrible booze. 

Now he had an almost five year old, a steady job, and more importantly, meaning to his life.

Wonho didn’t want to be cheesy and say that Ahreum had drastically changed his life, but she had. 

He used to eat ramyeon and other crap like, every day. Now he regularly serves stir fries and soups and other healthy shit. Ahreum and Wonho were even growing tomatoes on the balcony as a science project, so it’s safe to say that he’s… better. At being healthy and stable.

 

He’s not the perfect dad, but he’s trying. He’s trying and that’s what matters.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kihyeon=kihyun

“ _Appa.”_

Ahreum pokes at Wonho’s cheek. Her fingers are strangely wet. Wonho doesn’t know why, and frankly, he doesn’t want to, either.

“ _Appa_.” The pokes are more forceful this time. “Time to wake up.”

Wonho groans as he forces himself to sit up, his bones cracking in protest.

He’d fallen asleep on the couch, which accounted for why his back hurt like hell.

“I’m so hungry.” Ahreum’s elbows are knobbly as she settles into his lap. “You know what I wanna eat?” She doesn’t pause to let him answer. “A hundred and seventeen blueberry pancakes.”

“Okay,” says Wonho, flattening her short dark hair with his hands. He forgot to comb it last night before he put her to bed. “Go wash up first.”

Ahreum’s eyes light up and she excitedly clambers out of his lap and races down the hall to the bathroom. “A hundred and seventeen!”

 

A little while later, Ahreum is situated at the table, face scrunched up in concentration as she scribbles a drawing, pausing every so often to ramble aloud about whatever catches her fancy just then.

Wonho quickly snaps a picture of the staggering pile of pancakes and sends it to his apartment neighbor and close friend, Changkyun.

 

_[want some? ahrm wanted “117” but i have_

_a feeling she wont be able 2 eat it all lol]_

_[!! be there in 5]_

 

Ahreum looks up when Changkyun shuffles in, dark hair messy and still in his red plaid pajamas.

“Why’re you here?” demands Ahreum, looking up from her vibrant coloring.

“Ahreum- _ah_ , that was rude,” says Wonho. “Try again.”

“Why-are-you-here-please-and-thank-you,” Ahreum says, clearly trying to be a brat.

“To bother you, please and thank you,” replies Changkyun just as quickly, sitting down next to Ahreum. “What’re you drawing?”

“Spinosauraus. Duh.” Ahreum rolls her eyes dramatically. “It’s eating you, Changkyun.” Ahreum laughs, a wild cackling sound that has Wonho laughing too.

 

Ahreum manages to eat four fluffy pancakes, which is a feat on itself.

“Where does it all go?” asks Changkyun. “How are you storing all that food in your tiny, tiny body?”

“It’s magic.” Ahreum waves her hands around, wiggling her fingers into Changkyun’s face.

“She takes after me,” smiles Wonho through a mouthful of syrup drenched pancake.

 

Changkyun’s friendship had been… an interesting find. He used to be really quiet, and folded in on himself like the origami Wonho teaches to Ahreum sometimes. He would always have huge, clunky headphones on, or he would use tangled up earphones and seemed to live in dark, oversized sweatshirts.

Like he was hiding, or trying to keep just out of sight.

He’s different now, more open, after Wonho forced himself into Changkyun’s life. He spends a lot of time hanging out in Wonho’s apartment. Wonho pretends to be annoyed about it, but Changkyun knows that he’s always welcome.

 

“Wonho, do you want me to take Ahreum to the park or something?” Changkyun asks.

“You’re not busy today?”

Ahreum perks up at their discussion, sharp eyes flitting between them.

“Nah, I finished up lab work last night.” Changkyun helps to clear up the remnants of breakfast. “Besides, it’s a nice day out. Vitamin E and all that. We can pack snacks and make a day out of it!”

“It’s vitamin D, Kyunie.” Wonho thinks back to the big project he has to finish. “And yeah, that would actually be really helpful.”

Ahreum screams excitedly, running to get her sneakers.

“Don’t call me that,” chides Changkyun, pulling ziplock bags of veggies and little containers of hummus out of the fridge. Wonho prepares different snacks at the beginning of every week, so Ahreum can have them whenever she’s hungry instead of bothering Wonho when he’s super busy.

“When do you want her back by?”

“In like, three hours? I have some important work I need to finish today.”

Wonho goes hunting for Ahreum’s baseball cap, an adorable little orange one that Kihyeon had gotten for her. It’s not overly hot outside today, but it is fairly sunny; typical Californian weather.

“Don’t forget her water bottle!” he shouts to the kitchen. “Take one for yourself, too.”

 

Ten minutes later, Changkyun has changed out of his pajamas into something more decent and Ahreum is strapping her velcro sneakers on. She’s practically vibrating in excitement, pulling at Changkyun’s hand in an attempt to hurry him. The snacks and water have been packed, there’s a mini first aid kit and Ahreum’s Epipen are in Changkyun’s backpack, along with a picture book and some small toy cars just in case Ahreum wants to play with those at the park.

“See you later!”

“Bye _appa_!”

“Have fun, love you!”

 

Finally, Wonho collapses at his desk, booting up his desktop computer.

Two hours and three and a half cups of milky coffee later, Wonho is done. The computer system had been cooperating with him, for once. He only had to call IT for help once, which he feels strangely proud about.

He looks at the wall across him, which is filled up with printed photographs taped onto the wall. There’s dozens of photos of Ahreum, her smiling and laughing and playing. There’s an endearing one of her when she found a patch of mud and decided to take a bath in it. Watery mud is smeared all over her, and she looks more of a part of the Earth than a person.

There’s a picture of Kihyeon hugging baby-Ahreum tightly, laughing as she struggles to keep a tight grip on a wriggling Ahreum. The picture is slightly blurry, like Wonho was laughing too when he took it.

There’s a slightly less blurry photo of Changkyun and Minhyuk, a ginormous slice of pizza oozing cheese from the slice to Minhyuk’s mouth. Minhyuk is bespeckled with glitter, smiling through the mouthful of food. Changkyun is looking at the camera like he’s on _The Office_.

There’s one of Jooheon that Wonho really likes, where they’d all gone on a hike, taking turns to carry Ahreum when she got tired. They’d reached the very height of the trail and Jooheon had stretched his arms upwards to the sky, the sunlight lighting him up, painting him gently with the sharp light. Wonho had fumbled to take out his camera, almost dropping it in his eagerness to immortalize the moment.

Wonho spots a photo of Shownu, hanging sideways, loose from it’s tape confinements. He’s sleepy in the picture, eyes almost closed. Ahreum is squished between him and Minhyuk and she’s already fast asleep. The blue tones from the television give them a weird glow. It's soft, though. Gentle.

They’re all good photographs. Wonho isn’t Ansel Adams, sure, but he still likes taking these photos. 

Wonho stands up and stretches, lightly ruffling his hair as he picks up his cellphone.

There’s a text from Changkyun of a picture. In it, Ahreum  is digging a giant hole in a sandbox, and another of them eating popsicles, the bright juice melting and coloring her shirt orange.

 

_[don’t worry, she ate her lunch first]_

 

Wonho smiles and hits save on the pictures; maybe he’ll get them printed later to hang up.

There’s two missed calls from Minhyuk, and several text messages from him, too. Typical.

 

_[hello]_

_[wonho]_

_[call me back >:OO]_

 

He hits redial, stepping into the kitchen in search of food. “What’s up?” Wonho asks. He hungrily stuffs some salted _gim_ into his mouth. “Or did you call me just to annoy me?”

“The sole reason for my existence is to annoy you,” says Minhyuk. Wonho just _knows_ that Minhyuk is rolling his eyes. 

“Brat,” laughs Wonho.

“Idiot,” bites back Minhyuk.

Wonho peers into the fridge, looking for something else to eat. He hadn’t noticed how hungry he was, too focused on his work. There’s some leftover fried rice from yesterday, so he grabs that.

“How’s work?”

Minhyuk groans, voice tinny over the speaker. “Just super.”

“Oh, yeah? Guess who’s off for the rest of the day?” Wonho cackles gleefully.

Minhyuk growls, but there’s no bite to his bark. “Screw you.”

The microwave beeps incessantly, letting everyone in Wonho’s area code know that his lunch is ready.

“Hey, can I bring a work friend over today for dinner?” Minhyuk asks, voice quick and strained. There’s the sound of ruffling papers. He sounds busy and tired. “I saw him eating that Velveeta shit for like, the fourth time in a row, and he looked like he wanted to die, so. I kind of invited him to your place today.”

“Without, you know, asking me.”

“I’m asking you now?” It sounds more like a question. Minhyuk swiftly continues, “He’s super nice and friendly, but kind of awkward- you’ll see what I mean, and-”

“Minhyuk,” cuts off Wonho. “It’s fine, I was kidding. I trust your judgement in friends. Just warn him about Ahreum.”

“Awesome!” Minhyuk laughs, relieved. “I had made a cake this morning in case I needed to bribe you.”

“Cake?”

“Too late, there’s no need for a bribe anymore. I’m gonna eat it.” This time it's Minhyuk who's gleeful. “All of it!”

“I’m hanging up,” warns Wonho, but he’s laughing too.

“Gotta go, Wonho, but thanks. See you later!”

“Only if you bring cake. I won’t let you in otherwise.”

 

“Changkyun pushed me really high on the swings! Higher than the clouds, almost!”

Ahreum’s voice is bright and happy as she follows Wonho around in the tiny kitchen. Changkyun had dropped her off, claiming that he needed to take a nap before he came back over for dinner, but Wonho could faintly hear Changkyun yelling at a videogame through the thin walls of their adjoining apartments. 

“The clouds? Really?” Wonho makes a shocked sound. “What if you flew away, huh? What would I do without you?”

Ahreum giggles and play-shoves Wonho’s leg. “That’s not how gravy works, _appa_.”

“Gravy?” Wonho wonders what she means, whether this is just a weird thing kids do, before Ahreum goes on to explain.

“Yeah, Kihyeon told me! When I asked her why we can’t fly like Superman. It’s ‘cause of the sun and stuff. An invisible line sorta tethers us to the ground so we don’t float away. Birds can fly, though! Can I be a bird when I grow up, _appa_?”

It takes Wonho a moment to process the influx of rapid fire information that Ahreum presents to him. _Gravity_ , he thinks.

“Ahreum-ah, it’s called ‘gravity’,” he corrects. “Not gravy. And sure, you can be a bird. What kind?”

Ahreum continues to jabber as Wonho prepares a frankly ridiculous amount of pasta. He hefts Ahreum onto the counter, so he doesn’t trip over her accidentaly, and asks more questions about her day.

 

The garlic sizzles pleasantly as Wonho chops up some bell peppers and tomatoes. Ahreum isn’t too much of a picky eater, but he takes any opportunities to slip greens into her diet. It’s starting to smell delicious, Ahreum comments. Wonho feels strangely proud that she thinks so.

The doorbell rings and Ahreum clambers down the counter to run to the door.

“Ahreum! Wait for me to open it.”

 

Ahreum is standing eagerly right at the door, standing on her toes in an attempt to look through the peephole, which is at least a foot taller than her. Wonho lifts her and lets her squint into the peephole.

“It’s Kihyeon!!” Ahreum shrieks excitedly and Wonho experiences momentary deafness.

He undoes the locks on the door; three of them, two normal ones, and one dead bolt out of Ahreum’s reach. It’s not that he doesn’t trust her, because he does. Just. She’d tried to escape once, when Wonho was busy and said he couldn’t take her to the park. She’d unlocked the door and managed to get halfway to the neighborhood park before Wonho managed to drag her back home, explaining to her why she couldn’t just run off like that.

(“You have to ask me, and get somebody to go with you, okay?” Wonho had said. He had been carrying Ahreum in his arms where she was crying softly, frightened. “Like me or Changkyun or Kihyeon.”

“How come?”

“Because it’s dangerous for kids to go out like that. Bad people could steal you, ‘Reum-ah.”

“That’s _naughty_ ,” she had sniffled. “When can I go to the park alone?”

Wonho hmm-ed. “When you’re ten, maybe. We’ll talk about it then.”)

 

Kihyeon steps in, arms already open for Ahreum to run into.

“Hi honey!” she greets, lifting Ahreum up and swinging her. Their eyes share an uncanny resemblance, and they both have strikingly dark hair, although Kihyeon's hair is long, tied in two bunches, while Ahreum's is cropped short. She'd been paying attention a little _too_ attentively at the barber shop when Wonho had been getting his hair cut, and decided to give herself a haircut with her safety scissors at home. It had ended in a lopsided look, but it was alright. Her hair had been getting too long and easily tangled, and it was a good learning experience.

Ahreum presses kisses all over Kihyeon’s face, shrieking all the while.

“Give me a second,” Kihyeon says, putting down Ahreum and slipping out of her black kitten heels. Ahreum stands with her hands on her hips, head cocked to the side impatiently.

Kihyeon follows Wonho into the cramped kitchen, carrying Ahreum in a huge as she asks all sorts of questions.

“What’ve you been up to lately?”

“ _Appa_ and I are growing tomatoes,” Ahreum answers proudly, twisting in Kihyeon’s arms to point out the balcony. “And we’re reading Narnia together!”

Wonho leaves them to it, shuffling around, mincing cilantro and tasting the vegetable sauce every now and then.

“How’ve you been?” Wonho asks, pushing a spoon carefully to Kihyeon’s bubblegum lipstick-ed mouth. “Taste.”

“I’ve been alright,” she says slowly, tasting both the words and the pasta sauce. “This,” she jabs a finger at the pan of the sauce, “Is a helluva lot better than work. Needs a little more salt though.”

Ahreum, bored at their adult conversation, slips out of Kihyeon’s arms and scampers over to play with her toys near the door, eagerly waiting for their next guest.

“Want to tell me more?” asks Wonho, leaning his hip against the counter.

Kihyeon groans, pulling Wonho into a hug. She stays like that for a moment before she talks, still grumbly. “Just the usual. Everything sucks.”

“Really? Everything? Even coffee?”

“Fine, not everything.” Kihyeon rolls her eyes. “But everybody sucks.”

“How about Beyonce?”

“Not Beyonce. Never her.” Kihyeon says, fake outrage. “Not Ahreum. And you, I guess.”

She socks him in the shoulder when he tries to hug her, making a face at him.

“I’m your _brother_.” This time Wonho dramatically gasps. “You’re supposed to like, respect me and shit.”

“And shit,” repeats Kihyeon, giggling. She starts slicing some cucumbers for the salad. “How about you?”

“I’m fine,” smiles Wonho. “Ahreum keeps me busy.”

They work in silence for some time. They don’t need to always talk to fill up the space since years of being close as siblings have eliminated the need for that. They’ve been through a lot of shit together, the two of them.

“Oh yeah,” Wonho says. “Just so you know, Minhyuk’s friend is coming today.”

Kihyeon pauses for a millisecond, her rapid slicing of the cucumbers slowing almost imperceptibly, before letting out a soft questioning sound. She starts ripping apart some lettuce for the salad, albeit a little more aggressively. It’s hard for Kihyeon to be presented with new people, which is understandable. She keeps a close circle of people and rarely lets new people into her heart, so springing strangers onto her with little knowledge beforehand isn't the best.

Wonho has had a hard time, being a single dad with little to none prior experience, but Kihyeon has to deal with people's judgement and disapproval every single day. He knows it's difficult for her. There's a pang of some sour feeling that starts to cluster in Wonho's chest. 

“Apparently he’s been living off instant food,” Wonho says. Kihyeon takes time to warm up to strangers, but she has a kind heart. “He needs some good home cooking, don’t you think?”

She’s tapping her fingers in a rhythm against the kitchen counter, her ‘tell’ for when she’s getting frustrated. Wonho crosses his arms, leans against the counter. “Why, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Her words are getting faster; a clear sign of her restlessness. “You can’t just jump this on me, Wonho, I-”

“Minhyuk only told me a few hours ago, Kihyeon. And I don’t need your permission to invite people to _my_ home.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you as soon as I heard,” Wonho adds. “But I’m sure he’s not going to be an ass. If he is, I’ll kick him out. I’m your brother, I’m going to protect you.”

Kihyeon frowns, biting at her lip. She doesn’t like to apologize, too full of pride that begrudgingly protects her. Kihyeon clears her throat and averts her gaze before mumbling out, “Sorry.”

“Thank you, I accept your apology,” Wonho replies. “I’m not going to force you to stay. But Minhyuk said he’s bringing cake today, so. Your choice.”

Kihyeon finally lets out a laugh, her nervousness unravelling. Wonho loosens at that, smiling a bit. It's going to be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> split this chapter in half because it was bordering on 15-20 pages.  
> expect the next chapter soon!
> 
> kudos= loved  
> comments= lifeblood


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